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Short Duration Chickpea to Replace Fallow After Aman Rice: the Role of On-farm Seed Priming in the High BARInd Tract of Bangladesh

A. M. Musa
Peoples' Resources Oriented Voluntary Association, B/220, Kazihata, Rajshahi, Bangladesh

D. Harris
Centre for Arid Zone Studies, University of Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK

C. Johansen
Apartment 2B, Palmdale, Plot 6, Road 104, Gulshan-2, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh

J. Kumar
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru 502324, Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is a promising post-wet-season crop to follow rainfed rice (Oryza sativa) in the High Barind Tract of northwestern Bangladesh. Yields in farmers' fields, however, remain low (<1 t ha^-1) primarily due to such factors as poor crop establishment, late sowing, and terminal drought and heat stress. Having been shown to improve plant stand and yield of chickpea in other environments, seed priming ± soaking the seed overnight before surface drying and sowing the next day - was tested for its efficacy under Barind conditions. In the 1998 -99 season, 30 trials grown entirely on residual soil moisture were conducted in farmers' fields. A statistically significant mean yield response to priming of 47% was obtained. In 1999-2000, 105 on-farm trials and 15 demonstrations comparing presence and absence of priming were conducted. The crop received rain during this growing season. In a randomly chosen subset of 35 trials, scientists recorded a mean yield increase due to priming of 20%; it was 22% (from 1.02 to 1.25 t ha^-1) in the remaining 64 trials (6 of the 105 trials were abandoned) where farmers recorded yields. Using a different variety, the mean yield response to priming in 15 demonstrations was 17% (from 1.25 to 1.46 t ha^-1). The priming response was attributed mainly to rapid seedling establishment, with higher plant stand and earlier crop maturity allowing escape from end-of-season stresses. Priming also reduced the incidence of stem and root diseases, and increased nodulation by native rhizobia. This simple technology can substantially increase chickpea yields to remunerative levels for the resource-poor farmers in this difficult environment. Further, it is suggested that this technology can act as a catalyst for the introduction of further technologies that will permit reliable and portable cultivation of post-rainy-season crops and thus improve the livelihoods of the rural population.

Keywords: Pulse, Chickpea, Plant,

Location: Tanor Thana of Rajshahi District, Sadar Thana of Nawabganj District and Nachole Thana of Nawabganj District, Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Chickpea

Objectives:

Objective of the study was to evaluate seed priming for its efficacy for chickpea grown in the High Barind Tract of northwestern Bangladesh.

Methodology:

In 1998, farmers implemented paired-plot trials under rainfed conditions at 30 locations in seven blocks of the HBT: two blocks each in Tanor Thana of Rajshahi District and Sadar Thana of Nawabganj District and three blocks in Nachole Thana of Nawabganj District. About 0.13 ha of land at each location was divided equally for the following two treatments: non-primed, where dry seeds were sown as normal; and primed, where seeds were soaked in water overnight, surface dried and then sown within that day. Farmers were trained in this methodology and they implemented all aspects of the trials. Seed of the chickpea variety Barichola-2, recently released for cultivation in the Barind, was given to farmers and sown at a seed rate of 50 kg ha^-1. The trials were conducted under farmers' management. Most participating farmers applied P₂O₅ at 40 kg ha^-1 as triple superphosphate, and K₂O at 20 kg ha^-1 as muriate of potash. Neither fungicidal seed dressing nor Rhizobium inoculation was used. Fertilizer was applied at the time of land preparation by power tiller or bullock-drawn plough, followed by laddering (dragging a bamboo ladder across the soil surface to level the land). At the same time, seed was broadcast manually in each treatment plot, and a final laddering was given to bury the seed. The sowing dates for the different locations ranged from 19 November to 13 December 1998. Intercultural operations for weed control were done as needed and some farmers applied need-based sprays of insecticide to control Helicoverpa armigera pod borer. Fifteen demonstrations of the effects of priming chickpea were implemented by researchers on farmers' fields in Digram, Kazipara and Bisnathpur villages in Godagari Thana in 1999. At each location, two plots of 0.13 ha were planted with primed and non-primed chickpea seeds of the cultivar Barichola-5 as described above for farmers' trials. Seed rate for this smaller-seeded variety was 38 kg ha^-1 and sowing dates ranged from 8 November to 8 December 1999. Plots were harvested between 25 March and 4 April 2000. Data on plant height, population density at harvest, the number of pods per plant, 1000-grain weight, grain yield and yield of crop residue were measured using quadrats. Data on yield and yield components for each plot were analysed using a paired two-tailed t-test to compare differences between primed and non-primed plots at 30 locations (1998-99, quadrat data), 35 locations (1999-2000, quadrat data), 15 locations (1999-2000, demonstration plots) and 64 locations (1999-2000, farmers' yield estimates). The probability of achieving a given yield was estimated for each of the two priming treatments over a range of yields between 0.5 and 2.0 t ha^-1. Probability was calculated as the proportion of all 144 paired-plot trials in which the yield outcome was equal to, or greater than the chosen yield.

Source of Information: Expl Agric. (2001), volume 37, pp. 509-521

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The crop received rain during this growing season. In a randomly chosen subset of 35 trials, scientists recorded a mean yield increase due to priming of 20%; it was 22% (from 1.02 to 1.25 t ha^-1) in the remaining 64 trials (6 of the 105 trials were abandoned) where farmers recorded yields. Using a different variety, the mean yield response to priming in 15 demonstrations was 17% (from 1.25 to 1.46 t ha^-1). The priming response was attributed mainly to rapid seedling establishment, with higher plant stand and earlier crop maturity allowing escape from end-of-season stresses. Priming also reduced the incidence of stem and root diseases, and increased nodulation by native rhizobia. This simple technology can substantially increase chickpea yields to remunerative levels for the resource-poor farmers in this difficult environment.

Knowledge Management: Journal